Eclecticism...

[Kakure Basho]

*gasp* Many people frown on eclecticism, but there are many eclectics out there, and each one of us is different. I always like to talk to other eclectics and find out how they interpret their path, and what they incorporate into it, so let me start this out, and then if there's anyone else who's eclectic or has views on eclecticism, go ahead and reply.

I started out on the Celtic path, becuause it was what 'fit me the most'. Well, I didnt want something that only partly worked for me, and to make a long story short, the path I follow now is a mix of my original Celtic path, Native American spirituality, and Buddhism.

Its hard to explain, but it fits me just right! biggrin


Anyone else have any thoughts?  

[iolitefire]

Yay Eclectics! (That's a funny word, isn't it? Kinda fun to say too 3nodding )

I think that's cool that you work with Celtic, Native American, and Buddhist beliefs. Very interesting combo!

I started out your average pagan with the usual starting books and beliefs. I really couldn't find myself getting along with a lot of the Western gods. Greek ones were too...mean, and I just couldn't get a good connection with the Celtic or Nordic ones.

I kinda did some research in deities and found myself liking several from the Hindu pantheon like Durga, Yama, and Ganesha. I like a lot of Hindu spirituality, just really not into the caste system. I also got into a lot of Native American/ Eastern shamanism and am basically an animist by definition, I guess.

I'm still looking at different paths and am taking a closer and deeper look at the Western deities since there's a ton of Anglo Saxon and Welsh ones out there that I simply passed over. I'm always looking around spiritual-wise.  

[The Bookwyrm]

I started out as a Wiccan, back when I first started to get my feet wet; I worked primarily with the Egyptian and Greek pantheons and did so for many years. Over the past, oh, two years I suppose I've branched out and done some pretty drastic revamping. I'm more generally a Pagan now, with a heavy emphasis on Dragon Magick and the Celtic pantheon while still retaining some of my Wiccan roots. I also do a bit of Fairy Magick, but that's only rarely. whee I've got some remoretly Shamanic aspects to my path, and likely others if I cared to sit down and really look for myself.  

[Nihilistic Seraph]

I started off in Ceremonial Magick, but then moved out towards paganism. I don't think I really practice enough to count as drawing from any tradition though.  

[Jezehbelle]

I started out Wiccan, all those years ago.
If tobacco is a gateway drug, Wicca's a gateway religion. xp

Then moved between Celtic, Native and a few Nordic traditions, seeing as those are the three main areas my more recent ancestors were from, so I was eclectic for a few years.

Now, and for at least 4-5 years, I've been on more of a pantheist path. As far as diety go, it looks a little Wiccan, with a god and goddess, but I actually recognize the Male. surprised
I still have some traditional influences, though. Mainly, again, Celtic and Native (specifically, south eastern native, because that's where I live and that's where they were from). I've always had a pull in those two directions anyways.  

[Starlock]

It's so funny that ecclecticism is sometimes frowned upon when it is very similar to syncreticism. Syncreticism was a hallmark of old Paganism. It was quite common to incorporate ideas from other cultures into the existing pantheons. If anything this kind of syncreticism is just intrinsic to Pagan movements, Neo or otherwise. Even those who follow reconstructionalist traditions can't claim to lack a bit of syncreticism. Since we don't have all the details, we've got to fill in the blanks somehow and those blanks can be filled in from other cultural sources.

Personally I don't usually refer to myself as ecclectic. I draw from whatever I happen to know about, but I don't culture-mix as in take deities from different pre-existing pantheons and work with them.  

[DR490N]

my own beliefs are simple. i follow a somewhat old celtic fatih, but the modern incarnation of druidism is too pretentious and too study intensive for me, not to mention deviating from the paths of true druids just a tad too much. i believe in achieving a sense of harmony with the earth and all things upon it, excluding humanity. as a dragon i have a different outlook on things than most normals do, and as of yet, the only god who has indicated a desire to communicate wqith me has been Cernunnos, and perhaps some other deity whose name i have yet to find out, definitely a goddess of war or battle or something of the sort, but not the morrigan or medb. my path is focused primarily on the energies i feel and fedd upon around me, and achieving balance between technology and nature. i believe that progression and evolution of the human psyche will guide humanity to a sense of enlightenment or perhaps its own destruction, and i'm happy either way. i believe in utilizing magick and respecting all polytheistic gods is important. thats about it really.  

[Lady Detarra]

I never really had a set path. I would just study any path I could get my hands on and used whatever I felt comfortable with from those paths and made them my own. Its just easier for me to study when I know I'm not bound to one path.  

[Kakure Basho]

Starlock

It's so funny that ecclecticism is sometimes frowned upon when it is very similar to syncreticism. Syncreticism was a hallmark of old Paganism. It was quite common to incorporate ideas from other cultures into the existing pantheons. If anything this kind of syncreticism is just intrinsic to Pagan movements, Neo or otherwise. Even those who follow reconstructionalist traditions can't claim to lack a bit of syncreticism. Since we don't have all the details, we've got to fill in the blanks somehow and those blanks can be filled in from other cultural sources.

Personally I don't usually refer to myself as ecclectic. I draw from whatever I happen to know about, but I don't culture-mix as in take deities from different pre-existing pantheons and work with them.

very well said! I dont understand why so many people have a problem with it either, considering the trends that history has shown. There are so many people who are 'eclectic' with their beliefs and dont even know it.  

[Jameta]

*Smotes thee for lack of proper capitalization with her great powers of Captain-ness* domokun

...Sorry, just one of the little things that irk me. If Celtic is going to be capitalized, so should Eclectic/Ecclectic (how many c's again?) when referring to religion.

I, myself, am an Eclectic Pagan. It's much easier to say than a Pagan following Roman Catholic concepts and traditions with various Non-Abrahamic, including Wicca and Native American spirituality, influnences and perspectives. mrgreen What's amusing is this thought/belief-process runs in my family. razz Go figure.

Sometimes, I feel it might be easier to say Christo-Pagan; at the same time, I'd rather have a mouth full of words than an argument.

Actually, I've recently started referring to myself as only half Catholic. rofl

Back on track, I feel Eclecticism is important for others to understand, be they Pagan or Abrahamic, that it's not an "easy way out". I don't consider someone a true follower of a faith if they do not actually go out and do some of their own learning, and I do not feel someone is a real Eclectic if they are simply slapping stuff together. A true walker of this path will do their best to make sense of what they feel is right, and as with other things, will admit to not necessarily knowing a reason when questioned.

...And the train has stopped. xp  

[Kakure Basho]

I know what you mean. Usually I try to remember to capitalize it, but sometimes if Im typing fast enough I dont do it for some reason.  

[Rioto_Kish]

Oh, does 'eclectic' have a capital 'E?' Sorry, I didn't know that...I'll try to remember from now on. Thank you!

I didn't know there were so many different mixes of pagan religions! I've heard of several paths (Kemetic, Celtic, Wicca, Hindu, Faery, Chaos, Dragon, Reconstructionalist, Brit. Trad, etc) and I knew people mixed them, but I never realised just how diverse the mixes were. It's really interesting to read about what cultures constitut everyone's beliefs.

(Sorry, this isn't very relevant to the thread...sorry, I'll stop here in case I'm considered to be spamming. *backs out quickly*)  

[Jameta]

Eh, don't worry about any mistakes or spam; if I really care, I'll edit things. razz  

[Loona Wynd]

I'm eclectic and proud. I origanally started with what could be considered "outer court" wicca. You know the stuff that's in all the books. I studied and read for 8 years before I started to walk and develop my own path. Now I'm my own person. I run a small study group in my area, and I'm happy to be here.  

[m3_3aT_mUffinS]

Yay for Ecleticism! I actually started out in the Shamanist path, which I suppose some of my friends find surprising because some of my most basic beliefs are Wiccan. I dabbled a bit in Druidism and Wicca before turning to Electicism and I find it works for me best. I can incorporate a bit of everything (and trust me, I mean everything) into what I do and I find it quite enjoyable. Why does one thing have to be "true" or "right" when many can?